Portable computers, colloquially referred to as "laptop" or "notebook" computers, have increased in power, speed, and memory capacity to the point where they offer functionality comparable to that of desktop-style personal computers. However, because portable computers have been designed for small size and low weight, their keyboards and displays have been limited in size, making the portable computers less convenient to use.
Accordingly, their features and accessories have been designed with suitable interfaces to allow a user to use the same large-size displays and full-size keyboards as would normally be used with a desktop machine. In particular, docking stations have been developed, to hold all of the electrical connections between the keyboard, display, network connection, etc., with the computer. Thus, all a user has to do is "dock" the portable computer with the docking station, and the computer is ready to directly interface with all of the peripherals. It will be understood that there must be physical compatibility between the portable computer and its docking station.
There is a drawback, however, that portable computers, even within a given manufacturer's line, vary considerably in size, configuration, etc. Thus, conventionally it has been necessary for a portable computer manufacturer to have a whole line of docking stations, commensurate with its line of portable computers. Accordingly, manufacturers have had to maintain lines of functionally identical but physically different docking station models. Also, when a manufacturer develops a new line of portable computers, it must also develop a new line of docking stations.
There is an additional issue related to user convenience. To disengage the unit or swap units, the user must decouple the connectors. This involves both the user's time, and the effort the user must employ to disengage the connectors by overcoming their insertion force.
Therefore, there remains a need for a docking system which fully solves the problems of interchangeability and manufacturability discussed above, and which also provides user convenience.